Pope Francis celebrated an afternoon Mass Sunday, Sept. 27 with cardinals, bishops, priests and hundreds of thousands of lay people and religious along the Ben Franklin Parkway and on side streets, stretching from 23rd Street all the way back nearly to City Hall — a two-mile long, open-air cathedral. See scenes of the joy and devotion from a day few will forget, in photo gallery from CatholicPhilly.com’s contributing photographers.

While waiting in line a woman prays the rosary. Photo by Sarah Webb

A woman prays the rosary while waiting in line. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_17

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_13

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_11

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

[banner1]

Masspopemass_bykevincook_07

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_05

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_03

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Masspopemass_bykevincook_02

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

[banner2]

Masspopemass_bykevincook_01

(Photo by Kevin Cook)

Crowds exit the Parkway after mass celebrated by Pope Francis. Photo by Sarah Webb

Crowds exit the parkway after Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

676 closed for the weekend. Photo by Sarah Webb

I-676, the Vine Street Expressway, was closed for the weekend. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Children wait patiently with the parents in long lines for security check points. Photo by Sarah Webb

Children wait patiently with their parents in long lines at security check points trying to enter the Ben Franklin Parkway. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Long lines for security check points left people waiting up to four hours just to enter the Parkway. Photo by Sarah Webb

Long lines for security check points left people waiting up to five hours just to enter the parkway. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

[banner3]

The line at 21st went as far back as JFK Blvd from the Parkway just to get through the security checkpoint.Photo by Sarah Webb

The line of people waiting to clear security magnetometers at 21st Street went as far back as Chestnut Street from the parkway. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

MassIMG_5591

At the end of Mass, bishops exit the sanctuary custom built for the papal visit. They include, passing before Pope Francis from left, Ukrainian Philadelphia Archbishop Stefan Soroka, and Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishops Michael Fitzgerald, Timothy Senior and John McIntyre. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Pope Francis give the final blessing as he celebrates mass on Benjamin Franlin Parkway in Philadelphia. Photo by Sarah Webb

Pope Francis give the final blessing to conclude Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Pope Francis greets families at the end of mass. Photo by Sarah Webb

Pope Francis greets families at the end of Mass. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Pope Francis greets families at the end of mass. Photo by Sarah Webb

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, left, of the Pontifical Council for the Family, introduces a family to Pope Francis. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Dublin Ireland is announced as the next city to host The World Meeting of Families in 2018 at the end of mass. Photo by Sarah Webb

Pope Francis embraces Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland after the announcement by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia that Dublin will be the next city to host the Ninth World Meeting of Families in 2018. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Priest are escorted by volunteers holding umbrellas over them and the Eucharist as they distribute Holy Communion. Photo by Sarah Webb

A priest distributing holy Communion at the papal Mass is escorted by a volunteer holding an umbrella to notify the faithful of Communion stations — there were 1,500 of them — along the parkway during Mass. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Archbisohp Charles Chaput and Pope Francis offer one anohter a sign of peace. Photo by Sarah Webb

Archbishop Charles Chaput, left, and Pope Francis exchange a sign of peace. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

Pope Francis elevates the chalice, once used by former Philadelphia bishop, St. John Neumann, at the consecration during the papal Mass. Archbishop Chaput (left) and Archbishop Paglia concelebrated the Mass with the pope at the altar. Deacons Matthew Windle and Matthew Biedrzycki pray at right. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

MassIMG_5402

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Bob Kelly.

People await the passing of the pope’s motorcade on the Ben Franklin Parkway. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Photo by Bob Kelly.

(Photo by Bob Kelly)

Crowds gather around one of the many monitors set up so all in attendence can see and hear Pope Francis as he celebrates Mass. Photo by Bob Kelly.

Crowds gather around one of the 40 monitors set up throughout center city Philadelphia so all in attendance could participate in the Mass. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Priests are escorted down several blocks of Benjamin Franklin Parkway with umbrells to protect the Eucharist to distribut Holy Communion to hundreds of thousands. Photo by Bob Kelly.

Priests bringing holy Communion are escorted down several blocks of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway by volunteers bearing umbrellas. The well-organized effort made for quick and efficient distribution of Communion. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

People line the streets in paryer as they wait to receive Holy Communion. Photo by Bob Kelly.

People line the streets in prayer as they wait to receive holy Communion. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Photo by Bob Kelly.

People got into the spirit of the day by making a bishop’s miter from newspaper. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Hundreds of thousands receive communion during the Papal Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Photo by Bob Kelly.

Hundreds of thousands receive Communion during the papal Mass. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Photo by Bob Kelly.

(Photo by Bob Kelly)

People found creative ways to get their picture with the pontiff. Photo by Bob Kelly.

People found creative ways to get their picture with the pontiff. (Photo by Bob Kelly)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Pope Francis paraded down the Parkway to a sea of cell phones and cameras as the crowd took in the rare oppurtunity. Photo by D'Mont Reese.

Pope Francis moves slowly down the parkway to a sea of cell phones and cameras as the crowd takes in the rare opportunity to come within feet of the pope. (Photo by D’Mont Reese)

As the Pope Mobile drove down Benjamin Franklin Parkway people extended their babies in to the air in hopes the pontif would kiss they child. Photo by D'Mont Reese.

As the popemobile drove down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, people extended their babies into the air in hopes the pontiff would kiss their child. (Photo by D’Mont Reese.)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by D'Mont Reese.

(Photo by D’Mont Reese)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

Pope Francis holds the book of Gospels. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Photo by Sarah Webb

(Photo by Sarah Webb)

Good Shepard, Visitation, and Poor Clare nuns enjoy the time out of the monastery for such a momentous occasion. Photo by Sarah Webb

Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Visitation and Poor Clare contemplative communities enjoy the time out of the monastery for such a momentous occasion as the papal visit. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

The Pink sister left the monastary with special permission to attend mass celebrated by the Holy Father. Photo by Sarah Webb

The Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Holy Spirit (the Pink Sisters), a contemplative order in Philadelphia, left the monastery with special permission to attend Mass celebrated by the Holy Father. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

The crowd anxiously awaits the arrival of Pope Francis for Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Photo by Sarah Webb

The crowd joyfully awaits the arrival of Pope Francis for Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. (Photo by Sarah Webb)

A woman holds her son and her rosary as she wait in the four hour line to get checked through security to attend mass celebrated by Pope Francis. Photo by Sarah Webb

A woman holds her son and her rosary as she waits in the four-hour line to get checked through security at 21st Street to attend Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. (Photo by Sarah Webb)